What Happens When Something Goes Wrong...

On April 9th, Honda of Orem customer Daniel Ray Petersen dropped us a note in our Facebook message box.  With his permission, I'm sharing it with you.

This is the review I just posted on Facebook for my friends to see. Thanks guys. My wife and I shopped around A LOT all last year for a new vehicle, but you guys take the cake. Here it is:

Well, I'm not one to share glowing reviews often. Less expected is this one, since it's a car dealership, but I have been impressed. Two weeks ago we bought an '03 Honda Pilot from Ken Garff Honda in Orem. By some chance, neither of us noticed that the car hadn't been through safety and emissions yet. Last week the salesman we dealt with, Mark, called us and told us they had just realized this. Because Ogden is so far from Orem, he made arrangements for us to take the car to the Riverdale dealership, where they would do the tests, no charge to us. They should have been done before they sold us the car, he said, so they would take care of the cost.

The Petersens via Facebook  

I took the car in and it passed emissions but failed the safety inspections. Brakes, steering, engine mounts.... I was not pleased. I called Mark back to let him know what happened. I never guessed his response. Instead of grumbling or telling us we'd have to take care of it ourselves, he said, "Ouch, I'm sorry about that. I'll make arrangements for someone to drive up with a replacement vehicle, and we'll bring yours down here for a day to fix the stuff that's broken."

Did he mention how much it would cost us? Nope. Did he sound like it was inconvenient for him? Nope. The guy actually sounded cheerful about being able to fix it. Today they came and got the car, leaving us with a nice '11 VW Tuareg to drive. We got our car back just this evening, after about 9 hours away from home including drive time. Mark drove up himself both times. After we got the car back, he explained everything that had been done to it. He said it ended up being about $1200 worth of parts. Parts, not parts and labor. It would have been crazy expensive for us if we had to pay for this ourselves.

All in all, I have to say that I am grateful, and very pleasantly surprised. Yes, the dealership should have taken care of this before selling us the car. Any other car they sold, they do make sure it can pass both before they sell it. But the way they handled the situation, with concern for our time, happiness, and money - I've never met a dealership that was so willing to be the nice guy. Even though doing all this is really just the "right think to do" in this situation, I know that lots of other dealerships would never have been so willing. Some would have just called and said, "Hey, you need to take and get this done before we can submit the registration paperwork." and then shoved the whole cost on us. Some might have done the repairs but charged for the parts or the labor. And maybe some would have done the work and paid for it too, but grumbled every step of the way. Not these guys. Never once (and I asked several times to be sure) did they ask for anything out of my pocket, and every single time I brought up the subject they cheerfully stated very clearly that we would not have to cover a bit of it.

So, to you guys out at Ken Garff Honda in Orem: 5 stars. Bright, shiny ones.

Nicole Bullock's 2013 CRV Honda Test Drive

As mentioned in some previous posts, I was selected by Ken Garff Honda of Orem to test drive a 2013 Honda CRV for a bloggers promotion called the Honda Test Drive (or #HondaTestDrive on social media).

I’ve been a Honda fan for my whole life. My parents owned Honda vehicles all through my life. They were driving a CVCC when I was born, they have a Civic and an Odyssey in the garage, and they’ve had several other Hondas in the 30+ years in-between. I learned to drive in a 1995 Civic. Personally, I’ve owned a 2000 Civic, 2001 Civic, 1997 Accord, and a 2006 Fit (and a 2000 Acura Integra, which is essentially a Honda). We currently drive a Toyota Camry and a Scion xB, but we made hard decisions against Accords, Elements, and CRVs in the past.

The folks from Honda of Orem brought the 2013 AWD Honda CRV EX-L to my office on February 4th, the day before my birthday. They came with a vehicle with 300 miles on the odometer, with a full tank of gas. They showed me all of the special features of the vehicle, set up my iPhone to sync with the BlueTooth system, signed some papers, and I was given free reign to enjoy the car.  As tempted as I was to take off from work then and there, I had to stay at work a few more hours.

Go here to read the rest of Nicole's review.  

Test Driving the Sporty 2013 Civic

In the spring of 2011 the newly redesigned 2012 Civic was unveiled--and universally panned.  Reviewers complained about the interior, the steering and the look.  But the Civic isn't just any car--it's Honda's number one seller.  So only a year into the redesign, Honda has set a new standard and dramatically "refreshed" its top seller.

Introducing the 2013 Civic just 19 months after its redesign, Honda has recreated the Civic adding impressive new features and a sleek new look.  If I had to sum up the 2013 Honda Civic in a word it would be--sporty.

Rather than feeling like I'm climbing to a run-of-the-mill compact car, I felt like I was climbing into a sports car--and I was driving the EX not the designed-sporty Si.  The gleam of the chrome on the exterior, the beautiful stitching on the interior and the perfectly responsive steering make this "refreshed" vehicle refreshing to drive.

Honda added a back-up camera standard on all Civics, as well as SMS text message (where the car reads your message to you), Pandora internet radio and Bluetooth streaming audio.  Not only is the car super quiet (another "refreshed" feature), but it is so darn fun to drive!

I drive an Odyssey.  I love that Honda's minivan is incredibly responsive and turns in mid-size car amount of space. But even that comparable tight turning, did nothing to prepare me for the responsiveness of the Civic.  Not only does it turn in a seemingly bicycle size circle, but there's just something perfect about the steering.

The steering isn't so responsive that it's jerky, but it's also not in any way stiff or difficult.  It's hard to describe, just know--it is amazing.  The thing just begs to be taken on a long drive up a canyon where you can just turn and turn and feel in love.

I also love the Eco button.  In this car, you have cool 3D-ish floating blue bars that frame the speedometer.  When you're driving in the most eco-friendly, gas-milage-saving way, they turn green.  I was almost ridiculously enamored with trying to keep the lines green.

The new 2013 Honda Civic really leaves me speechless.  I guess the only thing let for you to do is come test drive it yourself. 

Test Driving the 2013 Odyssey

Here in the heartland of Utah suburbia, minivans are a hot commodity.  Among minivans, the Odyssey is queen.  With Ken Garff Honda of Orem being Utah's #1 Odyssey Dealer, it seemed only appropriate to test drive the latest model.

I got to drive the top-of-the-line Touring Elite.

The first thing I noticed about the 2013 Odyssey, is that it can hold up to 8 passengers instead of the standard 7.  As Paul Stewart, the Odyssey specialist, began to show me, the Odyssey can be reconfigured in 10 different ways.  Seats can be taken in and out, folded over, or used.  Three child carseats can all be comfortably buckled on a single row in the new Odyssey.

The amenities the Odyssey is equipped with are jaw-dropping.  One of my favorites is the FM Traffic which alerts you to traffic incidents on the systems map.  While still parked in the Honda of Orem dealership parking lot, I could see where accidents had happened on I15 and incidents on State Street.

It handles like a car with quick, nimble turning lets you forget that you're in a van at all.  As Honda put it, "The 2013 Odyssey is--for lack of a better term--so un-vanlike."  I love the standard back-up camera, the power sliding doors and, in the EX-L and up, the power tailgate.

See, even 4-year-olds can work the sunshade.  

My four-year-old son's favorite feature was the built-in sunshade. You just pull the shade out from within the car and hook it onto the extended top hooks and--voila--the sun is immediately out of your eyes.  He also tested to make sure that you can still roll down the window when the sunshade is up and, if your arm is small enough, you can even stick your arm out the open window around the shade.

Like the 2013 Accord, the Odyssey has technology coming out it's ears...or, um, side mirrors. (Seriously, the Touring has Memory-Linked side mirrors with reverse gear tilt-down.  To be honest, I have no idea what that means, but I'm sure it is useful.)

If you have a large family riding in an Odyssey and anyone is bored, that is their own fault.  Honda has installed everything possible to make sure that won't happen.  There's the XM Radio, USB audio interface, 15 gig hard drive that you can down load your own CDs, the ultra wide rear entertainment system on which you can be both watching a DVD and simultaneously playing a video game.  It think it's possible that you could drive across the entire United States and never *have* to play I Spy. (Note: playing I Spy is a perfectly good activity, possibly educational and is endorsed by grandmothers everywhere.) 

Recognize that I'm not the only one raving about the 2013 Accord.  The Car Connection review said, "Among the best of the current bunch [of minivans]--and really, the template for why minivans are still relevant and enjoyable--is the 2013 Honda Odyssey.... With the current version, Honda looked directly to today's parents.  With Bluetooth connectivity, up-to-date infotainment and entertainment features, and lots of tech savvy, plus top-notch safety...this Odyssey is neither frumpy nor behind the times."

Test Driving the Sleek 2013 Honda Accord

I have finally gotten behind the wheel of the brand spankin' new, super sleek, completely amazing 2013 Honda Accord EXL-V6.  I know I'm gushing, but it really is something.  The new Honda Accord is a luxury car, without the luxury pricing.

Ken Garff Honda of Orem has had some trouble keeping the 2013 Accord on their lot.  Just as soon as they get one in--it's sold!  So when I finally saw the car I'd get to drive I was stoked.  It's a beauty!

After being thoroughly walked through all of the bazillion new features, I was on my own.  Looking at the view the backup camera provided,  I pulled out of the parking spot and onto the road.

Back up camera view

The ride is incredibly smooth, the engine--though powerful--is super quiet, and the leather seats felt like they'd been specifically designed with my back in mind. I loved the blind spot camera that comes on whenever your right blinker does.

I drove immediately home to take pictures (and get marshmallows to placate my four-year-old, so I could drive for awhile).  One of my goals on this drive was to test out all of the various new beeping features.  Honda has installed a system--the Forward Collision Warning--that beeps if your front bumper gets to close to something (i.e. you're at risk of a collision).

A few family members and I were musing if this system would drive you crazy and go off all the time.  So I may have revved up to the back of a few cars trying to make the thing go off.  It didn't. See, I wasn't about to put myself, my four-year-old son, and the brand new 2013 Accord in actual risk.  And the Forward Collision Warning system can, apparently, tell the difference.  Since I wasn't in actual danger of collision--no beeping.  It put those fears to rest: you won't have to improve change your driving to enjoy this car.

Leather seats, mmmm.

I did, however, get FCW beep when a car suddenly pulled out in front of me.  It wasn't a particularly close call, but it did require a little aggressive braking on my part.  What was interesting for me, was when the beeping went on, I instinctively began braking harder. Among safety features available, I really like this one.

The next system that I had to try was the Lane Departure Warning.  In this system, when you drift from one lane to another without a turn signal one--the LDW beeps at you.  After turning left onto a wide, empty stretch of State Street, I gave it a go. Drifting to the left, the beeping went off!  I drifted back to the right and more beeping!  With a turn signal on--no beeping.  It worked exactly as advertised.  In all of my swerving up and down various roads in Orem, only once did it not go off.  Honda explains, "LDW only alerts drivers when lane drift is detected without a turn signal in use.  LDW may not detect all lane marking or lane departures; accuracy will vary based on weather, speed and road condition. Driver remains responsible for safely operating vehicle and avoiding collisions."

There are so many things to love about this car.  From the Blue Tooth connection that lets you talk to people without ever looking at your phone, having your text messages read to you in a cool computer voice, having Pandora stop the moment you arrive somewhere and pick up--mid song--exactly where you left off, the amenities are jaw dropping.

As someone who has a serious problem losing her keys, I LOVED the keyless entry and start.  I stood in my driveway locking and unlocking the car.  To lock, you only have to push a button on the door handle.  To unlock--this is the coolest part--you just reach out and grab the handle.  Seriously.  It's like being in a sci-fi movie.  It made me feel kinda of powerful, like, "Hah!  This car obeys my commands."  As long as you never lose your purse, or briefcase, you never have to even get your "keys" out again.

The list of what this car can do and why it is so cool, goes on and on.  In reality, it deserves another post, but I'll wrap up this post with the eco button.  Everyone I know wants to be eco-friendly, right?  I recycle, donate used items to charity and generally like the idea of saving the earth.  But I don't like to do it if I have to sacrifice comfort.  I have ignored, for years now, the plea of our local power company to switch to the euphemistically labeled "energy efficient service" because, in large part, that means that my air conditioning won't come on during the hottest part of the day because everyone else's AC is already on.  "It'll save you money!" they say.  "You won't even notice the 5 degree temperature increase," they insist.

Perhaps I should give it a chance, but I like being cool in my house in the summer and we live in a desert for crying out loud.  So, I was a bit worried about the leaf-looking "Eco" button on the new Accord.   I was informed that it pulls power from the AC to increase gas milage.  Even though I had my misgivings, I gave it a shot anyway.  Initially, my AC lowered in power a bit, so I turned up the fan.  Problem solved. The entire time I drove around I was perfectly cool, in fact my four-year-old eventually said he was cold so I closed the vents in back.

I love the thought that, by pushing a button, I can increase my gas milage from the already impressive 36 MPG Highway rating (27 MPG City) without sacrificing a thing.

 Edmonds.com and I both agree that Honda has restored the old magic to the new Accord.

Why Drive a Honda?

As newlyweds my husband and I had driven both of our college clunkers into the ground and decided to go on a hunt for our first bonafide family car that we purchased together.  We got a copy of Consumer Reports from a family member and scoured it's pages before embarking on our journey.

Honda Accord topped the list of best used cars--best at holding value, best repair record, and top of the line safety record, among others--and so we began our car hunt with a Honda in mind.  As we shopped, we eventually narrowed our choices to a 1994 Accord and a vehicle made by another manufacturer.  We test drove them both, but fell in love with the Honda.

Super sylin' 1994 Accord.  Photo courtesy: cardomain.com

Just like Consumer Reports had mentioned, the Honda was a bit more expensive, but the cool aquamarine paint of the Accord verses a hideous pale metallic green of the other car sealed the deal for me.  We purchase our first used Honda and have never turned back.

I'm far from the only one who feels this strongly about my Honda.  Edmunds.com notes, "Why are Honda vehicles so highly regarded by American drivers?  Certainly, their excellent reputation for reliability and quality is a major factor.  But it also has to do with the overall driving and owning experience.  Read any Honda review and you'll likely notice common themes such as thoughtful design, a friendly nature, better-than-average fuel economy and attention to safety."

Edmunds.com continues, "Today, Honda's lineup runs the gamut.  Included are fuel-sipping hybrids, a spacious minivan, reliable family sedans, practical SUVs and even a pickup. Honda's brand as a whole continues to be one of the most well respected in the industry, with millions of loyal and satisfied customers."